Mandate for GOP or anti-Obama?

Republicans see Tuesday’s elections as a mandate — an unequivocal message from voters that they want the Obama administration’s policies reversed. But the GOP had better be careful because it is not a Republican mandate.

Voters want to end unrestricted federal spending and trillion-dollar deficits continuing far into the future. They want to stop all tax increases that they know can only hurt the economy and strangle the creation of the millions of jobs that Americans need.

Story Continued Below

They want no more bailouts for a favored few big businesses, no more Government Motors. They want to free the country to produce more energy — shale gas, oil, solar, wind, geothermal, coal, nuclear — whatever the genius of America can find. But they don’t want to be punished and taxed for some preferred government solution.

They want common sense put back into our health care system. They want a system that is likely to lower the cost of their insurance and health care but allows them to keep what they have if it works for them. They want competition, choices, transparency and definitely no mandates, no forced changes to their insurance and no more government controls.

I spent 27 years working for Republicans on Capitol Hill, long enough to see several waves come through the Capitol — in different directions. So unless Republicans remember what this mandate is for, they could be just another wave passing through.

The economy, despite the largest infusion of government spending and controls in U.S. history, continues to be weak. People sense that things are getting out of control. Bigger government and more spending and regulations from Washington aren’t the answer.

The coalition of tea party supporters, independents, Republicans and frustrated Democrats who joined together to create the wave that washed away the House Democratic majority will be watching the actions taken by the new Congress. They are likely to be skeptical and will want to see efforts and votes to change the direction taken by President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Words are not enough. There has to be action to reverse direction.

Republicans now need to figure out how to fulfill that mandate. They should focus their attention on jobs, taxes and spending.